Man claims he 'can't remember' attacking young woman after following her, Court hears

A man who followed a young woman home before assaulting her on the doorstep of her boyfriend's home told a court he cannot remember anything about the incident.

George Boyce appeared before Letterkenny Circuit Court charged with the terrifying incident which happened on St Patrick's Day in 2022.

Boyce, a 39-year-old delivery driver tried to strike up a conversation with the passing woman at 3am in Letterkenny but when she refused to engage with him he followed her.

The terrified woman thought she was safe when she reached her boyfriend's home at Beechwood Park but Boyce grabbed her and dragged her to the ground.

The woman managed to get the door open and began shouting to her boyfriend but Boyce put his hand over her mouth to prevent her from raising the alarm.

When the woman's boyfriend emerged he managed to get phone footage of the accused before he fled on foot.

The victim was left terrified, her jeans had been ripped and there was blood coming from her after she had cut her knee and hands during the attack.

The woman's boyfriend alerted Gardai and handed over camera footage of the suspect leading to Gardai issuing an appeal locally about the incident.

A few days later a local Garda stopped a man driving and thought he fitted the description of the suspect.

George Boyce, of Fernhill, Letterkenny, was arrested and questioned about the incident.

The court was told that when arrested Boyce never denied being involved in the incident but he never said it was him either.

He appeared before the court on June 7, 2023 and pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a woman at Beechwood Park in Letterkenny on March 17, 2022.

A charge of false imprisonment was also taken into account.

The court was told that the victim was currently studying but that her mother was in court.

A victim impact statement was read out in court on her behalf by Garda Sergeant Maurice Doyle.

She told how her life has changed forever since her ordeal and that she still has the scars from the incident which she cannot speak to her friends about.

She said she used to see the good in everyone but that now she sees everyone as a threat and simple tasks like walking to college is a huge hurdle for her and that she is afraid to go to sleep.

She added that she finds herself "zoning out of life" but still recalls her attacker putting his hand over her mouth which she found a "revolting experience."

She was also forced to repeat that year at college because of her ordeal meaning that she lost touch with many of her friends.

The woman also said she now has a lot of anger which was misdirected at the people she loves. She has not slept in the house outside which the incident happened, a house she said she once loved.

The court heard that Boyce has six previous convictions for public order and traffic incidents.

Barrister for the accused, Ms Fiona Crawford BL, said her client had drank five or six pints of beer after going out at about 7pm to watch a match.

However, when he woke the next day, he could not find his glasses, had blood on his clothing and his watch showed he had walked 20,000 steps and his legs were sore like he had walked a marathon but had no explanation for any of this.

His Revolut account showed he had also been in both McClafferty's Bar and the Orchard Inn in Letterkenny, but he could not remember any of this.

When interviewed he said he had no recollection of what was alleged, but admitted that the evidence was there to say that he did and that it must not have been nice for anybody to have been put in that situation.

Ms Crawford said the incident was very bizarre and out of character for her client and that the Probation Report showed that Boyce showed victim insight and had expressed remorse at the time but honestly could not recall the incident.

She added that her client accepts the victim must have been "terrified" and also noted that just weeks before the incident a young teacher (Ashling Murphy) had been murdered and that this was in the media at the time.

She said her client avoids going out and about, is a hard-working man, was very frank with Gardai but that none of this excused his behaviour on the night.

A sum of €1,000 had been offered a token of remorse to the victim but although she had refused it, Boyce wanted it to be forwarded to charity.

Ms Crawford added that her client was 'ashamed, apologetic and embarrassed' by what had happened.

Judge John Aylmer said this was a "very sinister and bizarre' incident and that he wanted time to consider the sentence saying he will "hold my hand today," adjourning the final sentencing until Tuesday.